Islands provide great opportunities to test the predictions of what we understand about the biology and ecology of fungi. Using the lens of island biogeography theory, we can predict that island size and distance from mainland will be vital determinants of island fungal diversity. Further, we can make predictions about the kinds of fungi that will likely be found on islands that are based on dispersal, hosts and substrates, as well as the kinds of human impacts an island has experienced.

Current studies are underway to address these interests in the islands off the coast of Maine.